Banana vs Uamaga - England vs Poland

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: gladiatt

ORIGINAL: EUBanana

12/13/41




Only decisions to make this turn - what to do with the 6 Fortresses in Clark Field, what do do with Houston and Boise. The Forts are set to bomb resources in Formosa, any hit here has a good long term effect, and 6 heavies are really just pi$$ing in the wind bombing targets in the PI. Houston and Boise split up into single ship raider TFs. I send em back to Naga again at full speed with instructions to retire towards Frisco - ie out in the Open Sea. No Betties/Nells on Luzon yet, at least, but there are some at Formosa. It'll take a lot of luck...

Well, if i can just give an advice, and it is from a beginner (don't look at the star pretending i'me a vet: it mean nothing ! [;)] ) :
Why don't get your B-17 out of PI (yeeeh, it's a bit of PP), and put them in place such as Port Moresby to bomb Rabaul (as to support UK troops when the jap invade; or later on the Airfield) or Palembang (to bomb the japs land troops in Malaya) ?
For me it's seems their out-gunned in PI and under constant attack.
But once more it's just a newbie advice...

Oh, I will pull them out. Its just a question of when.

There is a house rule though that states no major attacks outside the SRA until the SRA is secured. While I won't hold my opponent to that one per se, I think that means an attack on Rabaul won't happen for a while yet.

When they do get pulled I'll probably send them to Calcutta though, rather than SWPAC. Later when the SRA is all Japanese its harder for the US to intervene up there, and an assault on India seems popular these days...

[EUBanana]

12/14/41

PI
The captain of the USS Sturgeon must be spitting blood, because he scored torpedo hits on a PC and an AK in a day of fertile hunting, but with duds both times.
Bad weather here grounds most of the Jap (and Allied) air power today, just as well, because Houston and Boise are steaming by the south of Luzon in a movement apparently well known by the Japs.  There is another Zero sweep but the P-40s happened to be resting today so found no easy marks this time.
Recon reveals he's moved his battleships, Yamashiro and one other at least, to Naga.  I cancel Boise and Houstons last dance - they just head for the open ocean due east.  I might tweak the tail of Iwo Jima on the way, depends how daring I feel (or if they make it that far).

DEI
Two MSWs, escapees from the PI are just rounding the tip of Borneo by Kuching, which is sub infested waters.  They are attacked twice by two different submarines, and both retaliate with depth charges but score no hits.
Off the coast of Java a convoy, poorly escorted by a single PC (Aldebaran) is attacked twice in the same day, with two AKs badly damaged but not sinking.  Later on that Aldebaran itself is torpedoed and sinks!  Poor outnumbered and outfought escorts.
Further to the south near Soerabaja a tanker carrying oil to Australia is torpedoed twice and sinks immediately.
Java has very little supply now... its all in AKs on the way to Singers.  Those resupply ships from Aus/Aden better make it or it'll be a real short Dutch campaign...
The minelaying sub, O20, is being pulled out of the front lines and is headed to Trimcomalee to pick up more mines.  The lack of MLs is starting to wear on me now the Japs have nailed about 5 of them,  no more.

Malaysia
The Jap 5th Division at Alor Star occupies the abandoned fort while under Oscar air cover, which proves insufficient as the RAF makes a good effort today, Buffaloes escorting strikes by Vildebeest, Blenheims and Hudsons against the troops there, chalking up a hundred casualties or so.  Rather insufficient I fear... 
Elsewhere the Jap paras take control of Victoria Point, and Singora is now packed with Jap bombers.

SWPAC
Decided to raid the Admiralty Islands with HMAS Adelaide.  Several Jap ships are there unloading and CAs are mentioned, but no idea how accurate that is, and I like attacking, to keep him off guard.  Adelaide is docked at Rabaul atm, as its a single ship raider TF hopefully the baddies at Truk won't notice.  More cruisers are steaming to Port Moresby, as is fuel and (a long way away atm) a replenishment TF, to keep the logistics rolling.

CentPac
USS Ellet bags I-168 with depth charges just in the waters SW of Pearl Harbor, a DD heavy SAG happened to go right over it.  Not sunk yet but heavy damage and a long way from home, so I think she's safely in the bag.  Mines about to be laid at Midway and Johnston Island.  Given KB has clearly gone, theres a lot of convoy activity between Pearl and SF now.

[EUBanana]

12/15/41

PI
Massive air attacks, the few remaining P-40s get cut to pieces.  Total air superiority is his.
Houston and Boise have legged it east though, halfway to Iwo now.  [:D]

Malaysia
He's started bombing heavily, Alor Star is, as calculated, a huge airbase now.  The first TK of oil arrived in Singers and is unloading, so the CAP has been intensified.

SWPAC
Adelaide runs into Aoba and Kinugasa in a daytime engagement by the Admiralty Islands . Is surprised, and the opening volley of 8" leaves her a burning wreck.  I would like to say that at least she got to fire her main guns, but she didn't.  Still, that old junker isn't going to get many other chances to do so.

CentPac
USS Tambor gets hit hard at Kwajalein, will be touch and go if she makes it.  Theres a fair bit of Jap cruiser activity in CentPac it seems.  But info is scarce.

[EUBanana]

12/16/41

PI
USS Sturgeon fires torpedoes yet again at an AK, misses this time.  She's now out of torps pretty much and is going home, in what must be a war patrol record.  A week and a half.  [:D]  Busy time in the Straits of Formosa for a US submarine!  S-36 torpdoes a loaded AK twice, surely that'll sting, but is heavily depth charged and sinks.  S-40 is hit by a bomb and then depth charged, leaving her badly damaged and maybe sinking.
Massive Zero sweeps over Allied bases on Luzon but I pulled the P-40s out finally, they are on the way to Java having been transferred to SEAC command. 
ML Kamome is ambushed by PT boats at Vigan, gets hit a few times by machinegun bullets but no torpedoes score.
2 Jap divisions and a Bde are sieging Lingayen, outnumbering the defenders a good six to one.


DEI
ML Rigel is torpedoed by a sub again while limping home, thats 3 hits.  And so she sinks.
The highly important cargo of combat engineers evacuated from the PI is now nearing Balikpapan.  Looks like they might actually make it, except two 'CAs' are sighted nearby.  My erstwhile opponent has been a master at sinking AKs with surface interceptions on the high seas, this makes me worried.  Unfortunately no CAs are anywhere near intervention range.  The next best thing, pretty much all the Dutch CLs, plus some DD escort, is dispatched from Soerabaja at top speed to provide some escort.  Shows how paranoid I am of his abilities if I have to be wary of SAGs finding me not in a port!
The RN base force at Singakawang is being evacuated, but unfortunately, every single one of their engineers looks disabled due to malaria.  So rather than Palembang, as I'd rather, they are going to be sent to India, probably without escort as my escort shortage is absolutely critical.  I hope the IO isn't as packed with IJN submarines as everywhere else apparently is.
An MLE from India is just west of Java now, headed for Soerabaja.  Together with DM Thracian, anchored at Soerabaja, I'm hoping that I can make up for the dismal slaughter of my MLs in this area.  Thracian is going to get a /lot/ of escort as she wanders around mining.

Malaysia
Indecisive clashes between RAF Buffalos and IJA Oscars over Singora.  Night bombing by Hudsons and Blenheims of Singora airfield prove useless.  Massive Jap air attacks on Khota Baru's LCUs, but his units are sieging Georgetown.  Bizarre.  Anyway, Georgetown is being bombed by me, its another max effort day ordered.
In Singapore one TK is almost done unloading and another one is just beginning to unload.&nbsp; 7000 oil there at the moment, which will soon be 12,000, and if a third TK arrives from Palembang which it should imminently, 15000.&nbsp; Hopefully to be swiftly converted to supply.&nbsp; 9000 supply from Java is in a convoy 5 hexes away as well, in the submarine infested Java Sea.&nbsp; The AVG is detailed to LRCAP it as it approaches.&nbsp; One squadron of P-40s, down to 8 frames and basically shattered with morale <20, arrives in Singapore from the PI, but it'll be a while before they can start contributing.

CentPac
NE of Pearl Harbour battleships are limping to the West Coast.&nbsp; One of these battleships, BB Arizona, falls afoul of I-7 and is torpedoed twice.&nbsp; She is almost certain not to make it, 99 sys, 60 flot. &nbsp; I-7 is pounced on by the escort who score a single depth charge hit and several rattles, given where she is, a long way from home, and given Japanese ships burn well, maybe she'll sink.
I-15 takes a crack at USS Honolulu between Pearl and Johnston Island - Honolulu was accompanying some DMs on a minelaying mission.&nbsp; The torpedoes miss but so do the depth charges.
Japs are landing at Wake Island, supported by a CL.&nbsp; The landing itself is fairly bloodless but the shock attack fails and its gory. 300 casualties out of 1200 Japs, for not a single Allied loss.&nbsp; I've set the Wildcats there to strafe the ships, and like a muppet I'm sending Lexington out there to see if I can pull the aircraft out.&nbsp; Almost certainly not worth the risk, but blah, I'm a sucker like that.&nbsp; [:(]


Allied plans
Aside from the day to day survival, some new things of more strategic import are being put into motion.&nbsp; The plan in CentPac is to bleed him.&nbsp; He can take whatever he wants (aside from Pearl) but I want him to suffer every time.&nbsp; So to that end, CD batteries are going to be scattered around the various atolls.&nbsp; I'm not planning on committing major LCUs, ie divisions, to bolster their defences, though the odd RCT perhaps later on as they come online.&nbsp;&nbsp; Canton Island is getting the first one, it should be a trouble free deployment for some time yet.&nbsp; CentPac submarines are being used primarily for offensive minelaying, all those little atolls will need supplying, and he can't be everywhere at once with his minesweepers hopefully.&nbsp; Knowledge of KB withstanding, I plan on some fast cruiser raids as well to keep him on his toes.

The plan to pack Palembang with engineers is continuing apace.&nbsp; The ABDA defence has been concentrated in my mind a little, Singapore is going to have a fighter heavy composition augmented by P-40s out of the PI which are now in the process of moving there, with some torpedo bombers in case Jap warships prowl around.&nbsp; The AVG will go back to Burma when all the P-40s are in place.&nbsp;&nbsp; Most of the longer range bombers are going to be moved to Palembang (which obviously now has pretty good av support) so they can intervene in the siege of Singapore.&nbsp; It looks like I'll have been successful in smuggling 15k of supply (in the form of oil) to Singapore assuming the Malaysia&nbsp; defence doesn't crumple almost instantaneously, with another 10k incoming, though he has a CVE loitering in the ocean to the east, so I'm not counting on anything.

Burma, he can have.&nbsp; B-17s are already standing by in Calcutta to turn the place into a wasteland upon his arrival.&nbsp; He can have it - and then he can rot in it.&nbsp; No reinforcements for Burma, though the units there will (obviously) stand and fight so he doesn't get it easily or quickly.&nbsp; I may well open up Burma as a diversionary front to put the pressure on him in late 1942, but but I can hardly plan that far ahead when he has the initiative.

In SWPAC the only change there is that Port Moresby is being reinforced.&nbsp; Mainly so that when he starts landings in New Guinea he can immediately be made to start paying.&nbsp; I think Noumea is a bit too distant to be of much use to be honest aside from as a Jap target, so thats being left alone.&nbsp; The absolute limit of his advance which I am prepared to tolerate will be New Zealand, I want to keep that place in my hands at least so I can get supply through to Aus.&nbsp; I don't plan on standing and fighting in Port Moresby, merely using it as a thorn in his side until he comes to remove it - and then I will slip away.&nbsp; (Probably via submarines but given the limited commitment I plan on that should be fine).

Much depends on his goals of course.&nbsp;

[EUBanana]

12/17/41

PI
The siege of Lingayen continues.&nbsp; Luzon is now pretty much evacuated of aircraft, only some P-36s remain, the P-40s and Fortresses are all gone.&nbsp; There hasn't been heavy Japanese bombing for a while now, though Zero sweeps are frequent.

Malaysia
I'm sending a Bde forward to Alor Star, which looks like its only got engineers there at the moment.&nbsp; It might disrupt his supply somewhat as well, as his main force is in Georgetown atm.&nbsp; More are comign though, down from Singora, so this is just pi$$ing in the wind again.
Night bombing with the handful of bombers available is totally impractical.&nbsp; I might just pull them out to Palembang already.&nbsp; [:(]&nbsp; Which will at least make room for fighters at Singapore.&nbsp; Daylight bombing is also pretty much impractical, the CAP is too intense.&nbsp; I'll have to wait until the targets are in escort range.

DEI
The AP filled with combat engineers is about 5 hexes from a mini-KB!&nbsp; [X(]&nbsp; One which seems only armed with Jakes, but still, a tense few turns.&nbsp; Submarines are still terrorising me in the Java Sea.&nbsp; Fleeing PI AKs, in single ship TFs, prove easy targets.&nbsp; There are so few DDs available, even with Force Z stripped of the E and F class DDs with ASW 8, that theres not much I can do.

Burma
Jap recon begins.&nbsp; Things will happen here soon I'm sure.

SWPAC/Australia
Jap APDs sighted at Admiralty Islands.&nbsp; I'm sending in a SAG again out of Rabaul, this one is a bit beefier than just Adelaide - a CA, several CLs and some DDs of the Aussie fleet.&nbsp; Dangerous with Truk so near, but bleah.
A full strength Australian division is being sent to Perth to dig in there, as Western Australia looks completely empty pretty much.&nbsp; When I have a second full strength division I'll send it to Darwin, so the ports in the far west and far north are well covered.&nbsp; The rest will stay in the south east.

CentPac
Wake is being bombarded by Jap CLs.&nbsp; Not much effect.&nbsp; An AP there which I assumed was dead last turn was sunk by them.&nbsp; The Japs are done landing but are no longer attacking, looks unfortunate for them does it not.&nbsp; [:D]
Houston and Boise have cleared Iwo Jima without being spotted, looks like they are gonna make it!
There is quite a lot of material - planes, LCUs - building up on the West Coast but insufficient transport capacity to move any of it!&nbsp; [:@]

[EUBanana]

12/18/41

PI
Lingayen is being bombarded by the Japs, the Allied resistance is pretty feeble in comparison, so I set them to defend and wait.

Malaysia/Brit-Land
Day of rest all around it seems. Just as well, as those supplies and oil are being unloaded at Singapore!
Minelayers mine Port Blair meanwhile, I wouldn't be at all surprised if thats a surprise to him later on, and I wanted to do it early while his Betties are busy.

DEI
Mini KB off Balikpapan, 16 Kates come in in the morning, another 8 in the afternoon. My heart is in my mouth as my AP packed with combat engineers is there. But the Dutch heroically get in the way as the Kates home in on CL Tromp. They miss all day too, the flak claims a couple. I imagine he's happy he pounced my cruisers but in reality I'm happy they were there to absorb the nastiness!
Dutch submarine torpedoes a PG at Manado, part of a hunter-killer TF. It sinks.
MLE Prome inches ever nearer Soerabaja, as do supplies from Australia and Aden... DM Thracian awaits eagerly!

SWPAC
The Aussie navy (Canberra, Australia, 2x DD) raids his units at the Admiralty Islands. Turns out its an MSW and an AK, not as rich pickings as 2 x APD as I thought were there. The MSW and AK get sent to the bottom, Truk remains quiet, thank god. I get the distinct impression that that was bait and I happily swallowed it, but... well. I got away with it so far!

CENTPAC
Houston gets spotted by a Betty, but she's a long way south of Japan, and there are no airstrikes. Houston and Boise both turn south anyway for laughs, they are going to raid Marcus Island, and then retire to Midway.
He's abandoned the attack on Wake, forces evacuated and vanished. VICTORY!!! [:D] Lexington might evac that Wildcat squadron without incident after all.
Glens sighted between Pearl and the West Coast, but that was to be expected.

[EUBanana]

12/19/1941

Malaysia
USS Snapper torpedoes an AK between Singora and Saigon, good to see Allied subs can occasionally get a hit in even this early.  She takes a poke at an AP as well, but misses that one.  However a Dutch (small) AK is torpedoed in turn just south of Singapore.
We're at 41k supply and 10k oil in Singapore.  223 grp RAF HQ is being evacced from Singapore, it seems to be in excess to what the place needs, I'm sure I can find a better use for an air HQ than there...
A new air offensive is planned, the AVG and all my torpedo bombers move to Kota Baru - in range of Singora, where another Jap fleet is reloading.  AVG is set to 0% CAP.  Morale seems OK, so lets see what happens!  Meanwhile my level bombers go for his ground troops elsewhere.

PI
S-40 and USS Spearfish both sink this turn, S-40 from prior damage and Spearfish by three depth charge hits in the Formosa Strait.  Lucena falls to the Japs, but the defenders retreat in good order (64 Allied casualties, 640 Japanese!  not bad for losers.).  Lingayen also falls, more casualties are inflicted than taken again though not as dramatic (350 odd for 650 odd).


DEI
My important AP of combat engineers has slunk away west of mini KB.  Only thing to worry about is subs.
Speaking of which, a Jap sub sitting in Balikpapan harbour puts a torpedo into an AK there.
Sub transports with cadres from Hong Kong are now past Java and into the open sea!  they turn west towards India.

SWPAC
The Aussie mini navy bombards the Admiralty Islands and retires without incident.
Aussie ML gets torpedoed just SW of Port Moresby, aaaaaa [:@].  The escort is Fail, of course.  It might survive at least, somehow.


CENTPAC
I know where KB is now - just NE of Eniwetok.  KB Kates pounce on an AS which was fleeing the PI, needless to say its toast.  Lexington is about 15 hexes east.  She picks up her Wildcats from Wake Island, and runs away!
More subs plaguing me between Pearl and the West Coast, this time the already badly damaged USS Maryland is torpedoed twice, but damage is very slight.

[EUBanana]

12/20/1941

I'll be glad when 1941 is over, oh yes...

PI
Big Jap air attack on Clark Field, with ~100 bombers.&nbsp; Fair bit of damage is done to the airfield, but aside from a handful of P-36s who remain there, the place is empty so no real damage done.&nbsp; Almost all the P-40s, who are the precious, are in Singapore now, though the P-40E aircraft pool will take months to recover.&nbsp; (I got one squadron of 16 which is almost usable, but their morale is in the toilet, the others are really just fragments.)
I'm evacuating some units from the southern PI, the usual single ship APs/AKs, mostly headed for Darwin.&nbsp; IJN efforts seem focused on the south China Sea atm rather than around here now, so hopefully they'll make it.&nbsp; This is why I dont evac every single transport from the PI on turn 1 - I like keeping my options open, and a few dead AKs who are almost certainly dead anyway doesn't make much odds to me.

Malaysia/Burma
He gets reinforcements at Taiping and promptly shock attacks. 31,000 Japs roll over&nbsp; 9000 defenders.&nbsp; He's got 2 divisions plus plenty of support.&nbsp; I'm surprised how quickly it fell - like, a day.&nbsp; 400 casualties each way.&nbsp; Bad weather grounds all my a/c at Kota Baru bar some Vildebeest who cannot find the target, GAH.&nbsp; I hope he doesn't nuke that airfield, I'm having another go.
CA Colombo, a pretty useless old Caledon class CA, is sent on a fast transport mission to rescue the engineers who got kicked out of Victoria Point.&nbsp; Its right under the noses of the Japs, but those Caledons are pretty damn useless - which makes them expendable.&nbsp; I'd rather have the engineers than Colombo.
Jap units are beginning to encroach on Burmese territory...&nbsp; bombing has been ordered.&nbsp;

DEI
Express, Encounter and Vampire, who were at Brunei on ASW patrol, get bombed by mini KB which flies aircraft from the other side of Borneo.&nbsp; Express and Encounter are hit, one will make it, one is going to be touch and go.&nbsp; Big Jap invasion TF headed straight for Brunei as well, I put some subs in the way to see if I get lucky.&nbsp;
The usual turn really, a TK carrying oil to Darwin is torpedoed and the oil cargo burns away, though the tanker won't.&nbsp; I'm sending a small TK (unescorted - no escorts!) to Sorong to drop a few drops of fuel off for the latest wave of escapees from the PI - who are using tiny very short range ships.

CENTPAC
Some ASW success finally, in the turn BB Arizona sinks 2 hexes from Pearl Harbour.&nbsp; My roaming hunter killers finally score some hits, one sub hit directly and heavily damaged, so almost certainly toast, and another two rattled a lot.&nbsp; I'm deploying Enterprise to roam with most of her planes on ASW, by the West Coast, though there has been no sub sightings near the US proper, Saratoga is doing the same.&nbsp;&nbsp; Lexington is on her way back from Wake Island with the rescued Wildcats, who will have to be put somewhere a bit more useful.

SWPAC
The slaughter of Allied MLs continues, ML Bungaree is sunk by a submarine right outside Port Moresby.&nbsp; The Kiwi Navy of MSWs is almost at Port Moresby now, which will no doubt make him quake in fear! (No joke!&nbsp; they have pretty good ASW ratings and his submarines are kicking my ass).&nbsp; I really dont remember being this short of ASW assets in the last game I played...

[EUBanana]

12/22/1941

Malaysia
The RA(A)F have done a better job the last two days here.&nbsp; Bad weather means Singora, where his ships are, is offlimits, but there has been modest success elsewhere.&nbsp; About 150 casualties have been caused to his ground troops pretty much without loss, and he's lost several bombers to AAA.

DEI
ASW efforts are stepping up - now I've rolled the PI USN escapees, which included Marblehead and her DD squadron, I got some more DDs to spare, and still after escorting the transports.&nbsp; I got an ASW patrol running between Palembang and Batavia, today it depth charged a submarine heavily though no direct hits.&nbsp; Despite this another AK, this one carrying Allied troops, was torpedoed, though damage was pretty light for a torpedo hit.&nbsp; I am feeling much happier though because now I see a whole bunch of depth charge attacks every turn.&nbsp; Up till now the Japs were pretty much getting away with it.&nbsp; So long as depth charges are being dropped, eventually, I'll get hits.

USS Sargo fired torpedoes at BB Hyugo NE of Brunei, part of my sub patrol around that base, but misses.&nbsp; Oh well.&nbsp; [:D]

Something of a disaster at Tarakan, he started unloading the other day and I thought it was fairly safe-ish, for at least a day anyway.&nbsp; Well, it wasn't.&nbsp; He shock attacked and promptly threw the Dutch out.&nbsp; That is quite a disaster because 2 Brewster and a Martin squadron were there.&nbsp; [:(]




PI
I ran another PT boat raid on Laog today, and actually scored some success - first PT boat success of the war.&nbsp; Two Japanese DDs were sunk by torpedoes, in exchange for one sunk PT boat, despite Japanese surprise.&nbsp; USS Saury missed an AK just north of here in the Formosa Strait, and got away with it scot free.
B-17s try to bomb Jap held resources on Luzon but run into Claudes, morale is n the toilet and they miss though none were lost.
He's noticed my Fabian withdrawal from Manila, and finally decided to bomb the port there, first time.&nbsp; Unfortunately it may have taken me 2 and a half weeks to slowly drain all the PI shipping, but its mostly empty now.&nbsp; An AV catches a single bomb hit.
Just as well really because he finally has Kates on Jolo Island, which strike the rearguard of my evac at Tacloban.&nbsp; He then raids Tacloban with a CL and DD during the day, a PG, an AK and an AP go into the Jap bag.

I've given up completely on the air war in the PI but theres still some pretty fierce resistance going on by the Filipinos and their American allies.&nbsp; Units have used Clark Field as a rally point, 28,000 Allies are holding off 23,000 Japs so far.

[EUBanana]

12/24/1941

Christmas Eve...&nbsp; the tempo of air operations seems to have slackened a bit of late.&nbsp; Though its still pretty fierce fighting in the front lines, the initial 3 week craziness seems to be slowly abating.

Malaysia
Kota Baru seems to be in imminent danger of being cut off, so the 2 x Bde there are being ordered to retreat.&nbsp; The base force will remain so he can't just run right over it.&nbsp; Will be touch and go for those Bdes but I want them to end up in Singapore for the Final Siege.
Theres heavy fighting in Kuala Lumpur but he will have to wait until reinforcements show up before he can take it. Its been reinforced slightly, I need to keep him away from Singapore as long as possible, as every day is +350 supply, plus I'm now concerned about the units on the eastern side being cut off.
The medium bombers in Singapore - Hudsons, Blenheim IVs - have been pulled back to Palembang, which is in range of Kuala Lumpur anyway.&nbsp; All throughout the campaign they've been on ground attack missions.&nbsp; Singapore itself is now very fighter heavy, with 3 P-40 squadrons in various states of usability, and 3 Brewster squadrons.&nbsp;

PI
Bombardments at Clark and Manila, but he's surely going to have to either bring in a lot more force, or siege them for months on end, before he can crack them.&nbsp; I actually have the edge in numbers.&nbsp; Supply is pretty bad though, and unlike Singapore there is no chance of smuggling more in.
PT boats are taking the fight to the enemy still, encountering 2 destroyers NW of Manila, probably on ASW patrol.&nbsp; One DD is raked with .50 cal fire and left on heavy damage (uh?) and the other one is torpedoed, so it looks bad for them.
East of the PI he has a couple of DD/CA raider type SAGs intercepting my fleeing transports.&nbsp; And he got both of them.&nbsp; &nbsp; He really is very skilled at high seas intercepts.&nbsp; There aren't going to be many escapees from the PI, though that combat engineer unit I mentioned ages ago is now deep in the IO and on the home stretch.

Burma
I'm getting ready for him here.&nbsp; The formerly USAFFE B-17s have been downgraded to Mitchells.&nbsp; The B-17 pool is very limited and the Mitchell seems more appropriate for shorter range bombardment out of Rangoon or Mandalay, which is what we'll be doing for at least a little while.
I'm pondering what to do with Rangoon.&nbsp; I could pull the Indians out a hex or two, and maybe then they'll be pushed back along the trails rather than cut off and wiped out to a man. Not quite sure.&nbsp; I'm loathe to let him just have Rangoon without even a siege, but I guess the Imperial Guard will make it a very short siege anyway. any suggestions?

DEI
I'm evaccing Balikpapan still, its probably next on his hit list and it has 20k supply there.&nbsp; I want that supply in my hands not his, so a bunch of AKs are headed over there to hoover it up and move it to Soerabaja.&nbsp; Risky due to the sub threat, and his carriers which are still at Tarakan.
Mining operations are under way, the MLs have the bulk of my ASW escorts.&nbsp; Should be quite a nice density of minefields by the time Java is under serious threat of invasion.
Java undersupply is quite a worry for me, that Aden convoy will fix things but its still a long way off.&nbsp; I'm probably worrying over nothing though, I think theres plenty of time for that to show up.
TKs are congregating at Palembang which has built up quite a lot of oil.&nbsp; I plan on keeping the place as dry as possible, the oil gets sent to Australia rather than Tokyo then...

CENTPAC
Lots of mining going on from US submarines around the atolls.&nbsp; My tactic is to drop sub mines in all the tiny ones, the ones with port 1.&nbsp; Less likelihood of MSWs already being on station there, and eventually, at some point, he'll go there.&nbsp; Some submarines (3 or 4 IIRC) are being told to retire towards Brisbane and contribute in the SOPAC/SWPAC area.
First supply convoys from the West Coast will be arriving at Pearl within a week or so.
Midway Island is being resupplied at the moment, and a CD battery is just leaving the West Coast destined for here.
Wake Island was down to 500 supply, a fast transport cruiser TF is almost done topping them up a bit.&nbsp; Their need is minimal being a small garrison, but I don't want to just give Wake to him, let him commit something more serious than a baseforce there if he wants it.&nbsp; Wake is holding a Catalina squadron so my recon units are actually quite far forward.&nbsp;
Canton Island has a CD battery a couple of days out with extra supply.
Baker Island has an IJ submarine marking it, I plan on an ASW run in there.&nbsp; Baker is going to get an AV and some Catalinas, whichi will give me eyes into his holdings.
Seems to be very little IJN activity in this part of the world though.

SOPAC/SWPAC
Got a lot of MSWs at Port Moresby now, probably an overcommitment.&nbsp; He's got a SAG (looks like Aoba and Kinushasa again) at the Admiralty Islands, escorting APs.&nbsp; I'm a little puzzled by whats going on here, the Admiralty Islands are not exactly prime real estate.&nbsp; The Aussie navy is on the way, I rather suspect he'll be gone by the time they show up tho.

[EUBanana]

12/25/1941

My Aussie cruisers, which were at Rabaul, were horribly smacked down as KB showed up.&nbsp; CA Canberra and CL Perth, both sunk.&nbsp; Could've been worse, a US SAG of CAs wasn't even attacked, and the DDs are untouched.&nbsp; So they are caning it out of there.

CV Lexington is raiding around the Marshalls, it'll be a one day raid to keep him honest now I know where the KB is.

All the rest of the action is really on the ground, which is in slow motion compared to everything else, so no comment on that for now.

[Durbik]

Well, if Uamaga represents 90% of male polish population - no witp turn for you today, EUBanana

We all hope for a miracle, but nobody believes in it

[EUBanana]

Clearly he doesn't as I just got one. &nbsp;[:D]

12/26/1941

Malaysia
Disaster as the two Bdes I had ordered to move at Kota Baru apparently forgot their orders - I suspect due to my not sending them to a base hex.&nbsp;&nbsp; They will almost certainly be cut off.
Kuala Lumpur falls hard, 10:1&nbsp; in the Japs favour.&nbsp; Japanese tanks follow up, I just ordered every bomber in range to trash them.&nbsp; I rather doubt it'll be enough to give Kota Baru time to evac though.

Burma
Mitchells have been moved up to Rangoon, they are going in this turn.&nbsp; I hope to bomb him every step of the way, air superiority permitting.

DEI
A single CVL or CVE is in the Macassar strait headed west.&nbsp; I wonder what the plan here is.&nbsp; A raid?&nbsp; There are mines in the shallow water at the SW end of the strait, maybe he'll be so good as to hit one.&nbsp;
Clearly the Jap efforts here are intensifying, he's got a BB force right by Brunei - my Swordfish ignore it and go for his CAPped CV which is sitting out of range, to get raped by fighters.&nbsp; [8|]&nbsp; I pull them back, Brunei is his for the taking anyway.&nbsp; I imagine Balikpapan will be only a few turns behind.
My PI refugees are getting murderised around Sorong, he cut off that avenue of escape most decisively.&nbsp; I'll have to use subs to evacuate cadres and it looks like that'll be it.

SWPAC
We're all running away as KB shows up....&nbsp;&nbsp; I wonder if this is raiding or serious invasion supporting.&nbsp; KB is still around anyway, sinking an obsolete DD which was crippled at Rabaul.&nbsp; The valuable units are out of there.

CENTPAC
I moved B-17s to Wake.&nbsp; [:D]&nbsp; And destroyers are doing a lightning raid on Marcus Island again, almost certainly no shipping but you never know.&nbsp; [:D]
In one of my less sensible moves Lexington slowly nudges towards Kwajalein intending on a raid, she has an extra 12 Wildcats aboard, formerly from Wake.&nbsp; I'd like to a) trash an airfield or b) trash some minesweepers.&nbsp; Airfield will be the priority target.&nbsp; Speaking of minesweepers almost all his tiny forward atolls are mined now, my subs have been busy.

[Durbik]

Clearly he doesn't as I just got one.

game starts in 20 minutes, so he's a honest player, and managed to pass the turn before it

[gladiatt]

It seems you are preparing well the CentPac, so with a little luck, it will be easier for you when time will come to strike back.
The DEI is always a very difficult front for the allies; you do your best, and that is enough for you japanese opponent to take time to conquer it: and time is a value.
In Burma, i don't really know how to hold a line. My thought is : you can make it a hard time for him, and your choice of getting B-25 seems a good one: theses planes are good, you can do some damage to his land-troops. Maybe, if you try to defend Rangoon, once (if?) he won the siege, your troops could retrat along the coast, and be picked up by transport (beware of air power, but it can be make).

Nice play, i'll get tuned...

[EUBanana]

12/27/1941

Malaysia
Desperate attempts to fall back to Singapore going on, and an equally desperate holding action by two shattered Indian Bdes SE of Kuala Lumpur.&nbsp; Every Allied bomber in range is detailed to assist them.&nbsp; Its going to be down to the day here as to whether they make it out.
5 TFs are nearing Singapore, there must be carriers in there.&nbsp; BB Kongo definitely is in there.&nbsp; There are quite a few torpedo bombers and P-40 in Singapore, so I make sure they are all set to fly.
Force Z is moving to Batavia, getting dangerously near the front.

Burma
The AVG shot down an Oscar while escorting my Mitchells.&nbsp; ...the fact this was significant enough for me to mention it shows you how totally outclassed the Allied airforce currently is.&nbsp; In fact I think Zeroes are achieving a kill ratio of at least 10:1 in the air - and that doesn't include the many Allied a/c caught on the ground.

DEI
His air combat TF in the Macassar Strait vanished.&nbsp; [&:] the plot thickens.
His fleet that finished off my APs at Sorong is now headed for Timor.&nbsp; Things look grave for the Dutch.&nbsp; Him working on cutting me off does give me more time to lay mines with the MLE at Soerabaja at least. &nbsp;[:)]

SWPAC
He's invading Rabaul at the moment, the Aussies will probably be booted out with the first push.&nbsp; Pondering what to do.&nbsp; PM has been resupplied and has plenty of fuel but no LCUs or baseforces,and Australia doesn't really have any to send unless I part with a bunch of PPs.&nbsp; Do I even want it that bad?&nbsp; I'm inclined to say No, PM is not really a priority and even if i did garrison it it wouldn't stop him taking it if he wanted.
Shame there are no CD units around or i'd move them up for sure.&nbsp;
There will be no Allied CV intervention until the Zero bonus has expired - no matter what.
Supply is really low in Australia as I sent a bunch to Java.&nbsp; In the red at Darwin.&nbsp; [X(]&nbsp; There are convoys on the way but they've got a loooooong way to go.&nbsp; I'm hoping DEI oil will tide Australia over in the short term.

CENTPAC
Canton Island has been reinforced with the CD unit and is resupplied.&nbsp; Midway is resupplied.&nbsp; Minelaying going on at an empty Baker Island, and replenishment TFs are heading for the Canton area to be on station.
Catalinas are flying out of Wake, Palmyra, Midway, Canton Island, Pago Pago, Christmas Island.&nbsp; Liberators are still on Wake, being mainly used as additional naval search atm, but they will let me recon into Kwajalein (or bomb Kwajalein with reduced loads) as needed.&nbsp; An IJN submarine still loiters at Baker which is keeping my readied AV at Canton, but I got DDs on the way, I want Catalinas there too.
USS Lexington approaches...&nbsp; I'll try and time a Liberator raid on Kwajalein to happen on the same day.

[EUBanana]

12/28/41

Malaysia
He's unloading troops 3 hexes from Singapore, right under the noses of all my torpedo bombers.&nbsp; And weather grounds everything except extended range Vildebeest which of course do nothing.&nbsp; [8|]&nbsp; In some games I've had a lot of luck with Swordfish but not this one.&nbsp; Force Z is moving up given its within LRCAP range.&nbsp; Backs to the wall and all.&nbsp; I imagine he's only dangling bait, his carriers are nearby, but hopefully 40 P-40s Will Say No.
Still not sure as to the ground situation, the next few days will determine the outcome of that.

PI
Bataan, Clark Field and Manila are still mine on Luzon, supply is pretty low though - about 25k in total.&nbsp; Its almost time to hunker down for the Final Stand, but where should I do this?&nbsp; Manila, Clark, Bataan, a combination of the above?


DEI
More surface combat which sinks my last remaining troop carrying AP from the PI.&nbsp; He likes having 1 CL + 1 DD to chase down my TFs, I presume he just puts them in every potential hex I can move to so he's guaranteed an engagement, in any case, I've never seen so many ships sunk by 6 inch naval guns in such a short time before.
Looks like Amboina is the target not Timor just yet.
Minelaying continues in the Java Sea area.
Torpedo bombers from a CVL in the South China Sea trashes an AGP and an AK at Singakawang, lucky I moved Force Z out of there last turn, eh.

SWPAC
He's still coming ashore at Rabaul.&nbsp; Aside from MSWs at PM the Allied ships in the area are headed for Rockhampton.&nbsp; The B-17s at Rabaul have been pulled out, replaced by Hudsons and Wirraways fleeing Rabaul.&nbsp; As per usual nothing I can really do here but watch.&nbsp; At least the Dutch have decisions to make regarding the defence of Java!

CENTPAC
Lexington is about 3 days out from Kwajalein, I'm getting itchy feet though so may cancel the operatio.&nbsp; Recon suggests a squadron of Zeroes is there, and I dont think 1 carrier is likely to really make much of a dent in the airbase.&nbsp; Do some light damage perhaps, but much to risk for small reward.&nbsp; I'll shift my recon back to Eniwetok over the next day to reduce his paranoia and see how it goes.

First Pearl supply convoy is almost done reloading.&nbsp; Saratoga and Enterprise are now at Pearl.&nbsp; CD guns have finished unloading at Canton Island, which is well supplied.&nbsp; My DMs are going to be taking a rest, I pushed them hard (some are on 20 sys damage) to cover exposed islands asap no matter what.&nbsp;

Oh and I forgot, BB Oklahoma was torpedoed by a sub out of Pearl again a couple of days ago.&nbsp; [8|]&nbsp; whenever I try and slip em to San Francisco there he is.&nbsp; That stretch of sea is packed with USN ASW assets, I even had Saratoga go through there with everything set to ASW patrol and found zip, using her in the same way the RN used (and lost) Courageous.&nbsp; Grrr.

[EUBanana]

12/29/1941

Felt an overpowering sense of Groundhog Day here, it seemed almost like a repeat.

Malaysia
Swordfish failed to find a target AGAIN.&nbsp; Day after day that has happened.&nbsp; Vildebeest have no such problems, but on the other hand baby bombs do no good at all.&nbsp; They miss in any case.&nbsp; The air to air battles are intense, and I'm getting the screw - 18 planes lost, mostly Buffaloes, for 4 Zeroes.&nbsp; Thats actually pretty good by standards thus far.
Situation is bad, 2 Bdes got cut off behind Jap lines as the Japs advance.&nbsp; I felt less bad than before, as they were 2 days too slow - so the bug didn't get me, it was my own fault.&nbsp; They are headed for the coast, I hope to pick up cadres at least.
Kuantan falls.
I'm trying to regroup in Singapore.&nbsp;

PI
Not much to report, the siege continues.

DEI
T.IVs are in position to hit ships, with fighter escort even - morale is high, and they sit on their arse.&nbsp; Bah.
CVBG sighted just north of Timor - must be the one I lost track of the other day.
Minelaying continues, the Java Sea is full of em!
I order the Dutch tank unit to Kragen, so there are no easy victories for him, and on Sumatra I order an extra defence battalion to Palembang.&nbsp; AKs are ready on the SE tip ready to shuttle away Palembang refugees if given a chance to do so.

SWPAC
He's landing at Madang and he's almost taken Rabaul.&nbsp; A second landing behind Rabaul cuts off Lark Force, who are, however, giving a bloody nose to the Jap.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ground combat at Rabaul
&nbsp;
Japanese Deliberate attack
&nbsp;
Attacking force 3438 troops, 16 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 100
&nbsp;
Defending force 4595 troops, 34 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 37
&nbsp;
Japanese max assault: 98 - adjusted assault: 22
&nbsp;
Allied max defense: 34 - adjusted defense: 83
&nbsp;
Japanese assault odds: 0 to 1 (fort level 3)
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Japanese ground losses:
249 casualties reported
Guns lost 5
&nbsp;
Allied ground losses:
43 casualties reported
Guns lost 1
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


CENTPAC
A Glen spots my CVTF.&nbsp; I was getting cold feet anyway, I've lost sight of all of KB, so they scurry home.
My DDs are parked by Marcus Island.&nbsp; Nobody even knows they are there.&nbsp; No Japs anyway.&nbsp; They head home.&nbsp; I order another raiding party out though, CL Honolulu and a Bagley class DD.&nbsp; Good guns and good range, dangerous with Betties but I'll have em prowl around, see whats out there.
I need more time to garrison Noumea as there is nothing to garrison Noumea /with/.

Australia
Some pondering re. defences again.&nbsp; I'm going to evacuate Derby and Wyndham - the bad communication links mean thats just dead ground anyway - and send them...&nbsp; probably to Daly Waters and Tennant Creek.&nbsp; I already got a Div headed for Perth so the defences in the west will be 1 Div + 1 Bde + the baseforces/CD guns.&nbsp; The ANZACS really dont have much though...

China
I'm sending some AAA units from the West Coast to China, as it was cheap on PPs, and can make him pay for his pilot training program.
I really hate the Chinese theatre and ground combat is a complete mystery to me so this month has been quiet from me, I jsut been watching.&nbsp; He's cleaned away some guerillas, but thats about it.&nbsp; Now I'm making some tentative moves, I don't want him pulling divisions out after all.&nbsp; I'm reinforcing Wuchow and bombers are being positioned there, which are in range of his shipping.&nbsp; The AVG is around to give fighter support.&nbsp; Maybe we can chalk up some AKs.&nbsp; Right now I'll take anything I can get.
With experience 27 bombers I rather doubt I'll even get anything!

[EUBanana]

12/30/1941

Malaysia
Swordfish can't find the target AGAIN.&nbsp; [8|][8|][8|][8|][8|][8|][8|][8|][8|][8|]&nbsp; I mean seriously wtf?&nbsp; Are they blind???&nbsp; [:@]&nbsp; Clear weather this turn as well.
Just about every bomber in Malaysia has had a go against Kongo now except the 10 highly experienced and effective torpedo bombers.
[8|]

DEI
He has one carrier at Kuching, one carrier immediately south of Balikpapan, one carrier east of Bali, (and more carriers in SWPAC).&nbsp; He loves splitting up his carriers alright.
There is a paradrop from Jolo Island to Balikpapan this turn, I've already evacced most of the units there - unfortunately mostly by sea which was a bad move given his CVs everywhere.&nbsp; All sunk.&nbsp;
He finally invaded Kuching this turn, my evacced (all bar coastal guns) and mined base with T.IVs in range.&nbsp; An AK hits a mine and coastal guns do some reasonable damage, one AP heavily damaged and a lot on fire.&nbsp; The T.IVs missed though.&nbsp; I pulled them back to Batavia now as there are only 4 of them anyway, fatigue was high, and given T.IVs are extremely scarce and valuable assets, I don't want them getting squished by his Zeroes.

SWPAC
Still sieging Rabaul here, not much has changed.

CENTPAC
I pulled Lexington out but I've still got my 4Es on Wake - small airfield but there they are.&nbsp; I wanna tweak his tail still, I'm just not prepared to use carriers to do so - accordingly my 4Es raid Kwajalein port.&nbsp; He only has a few Zeroes there which are easily brushed aside by the heavies, and an AS catches a 500 pounder.&nbsp; Not much damage but he now knows he's not safe there, and thats all I want.&nbsp; [:D]

[EUBanana]

12/31/1941
&nbsp;
Something approaching a successful day today for the Allies.&nbsp; Very modest success but I'll take what I can get.
&nbsp;
Malaysia
10 Swordfish fly finally, heavily escorted by P-40s and Buffaloes out of Singapore.&nbsp; Kongo gets missed a lot, but at least I tried.&nbsp; A whole month without much Swordfish action means a lot of planes in the pool ready, so the four out of 10 losses are immediately made up.&nbsp; ...morale will take a little longer.
He's wasted no time and promptly pounced on the Indian Bdes.&nbsp; One already has a cadre evacced, the other doesn't - it appears to be letting me fly Catalinas in even though its not a base hex ([&:]) so even though they are cut off I plan on cadre evacuation, or more even, if possible.
The AIF units have been concentrated a hex NW of Singers, no cutting them off at least.
&nbsp;
Burma
24 Mitchells + 12 Blenheim Is are bombing him every step of the way now as promised out of Tavoy and Rangoon.&nbsp; The AVG - a full 24 fighter squadron in excellent shape - is roughly handling the one squadron of Oscars he has defending, 4 were shot down today without Allied loss.&nbsp; He's suffering anywhere from 50-100 casualties a day on the trails and I can keep this up essentially indefinitely until he brings in more fighter assets or shuts Tavoy (which is exposed, no fighters) down.
&nbsp;
DEI
This is where some more&nbsp;of the modest success happened - mines.&nbsp; I saw at least&nbsp;4 mine hits this turn, AKs and APs, at Balikpapan and Kuching.&nbsp; Coastal guns at Kuching chalked up some pain as well, another AK badly damaged.&nbsp; Dutch submarines took a crack at a CVTF (not the CV though) NE of Kuching, but missed.&nbsp; Kuching fell to him today but I am moderately happy - the base had been evacced and left with a skeleton crew (pretty much just the 6 inch CD guns were left!) and its cost him half a dozen transports for pretty much no Allied losses.&nbsp; The few Dutch left to retreat are being airlifted to Palembang by the amazingly useful aeroplane, the Catalina.
Balikpapan also fell, he paid less for this but even so he lost a couple to mines.
Minelaying is still big news here, mines are being deployed to Palembang en masse while I still have access to it.&nbsp; Force Z hovers in Batavia.&nbsp; I think they've had some success as a fleet in being, he appears to be splitting his carriers up into single CVs covering each invasion - surely thats because he's wary of Force Z pouncing him without CVs on station. I've been unable to capitalise on this but surely more vulnerable CVTFs, like the lone Ryujo NE of Kuching, may mean more chance of hitting one.
Big oil convoy is about to leave Palembang for Aus.
&nbsp;
The Dutch pilot pool is empty already and they are barely even engaged - a bad thing.
&nbsp;
PI
2 subs leave Manila, one carrying a baseforce cadre to SF (long voyage), one carrying an RCT fragment to Calcutta.&nbsp; Spur of the moment, I decided to blow 500 odd PP on an RCT cadre.
The sieges of Clark and Manila continue.&nbsp; Bataan is barely garrisonned still.
&nbsp;
SWPAC/Aus
Rabaul falls but Catalinas at Port Moresby lifted out a cadre of Lark Force in the nick of time.&nbsp; A sub, USS Triton, has a fragment of the baseforce and is en route to Brisbane.
The below strength Bde at PM will be airlifted out and a full strength Bde rotated in - possibly via airlift or by ship, not sure yet.
The Wyndham baseforce is in the process of being airlifted to Darwin (Gods own aeroplane again!&nbsp; Catalinas rock).
Supply at Darwin is terrible, there is adequate supply in the SE but not up here.&nbsp; Woe.&nbsp; I guess i need to transport via ship?
&nbsp;
&nbsp;